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Nagananda files case against Indians bottom trawling in Northern waters (Video)

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Nagananda Kodithuwakku says that he is seeking legal redress against Indian fishermen engaged in bottom trawling in Sri Lankan waters.
On a Facebook Live video, he says that he had filed a case in this regard on Oct. 17.

Noting that an agreement was concluded between India and Sri Lanka on maritime boundaries of the two countries on March 23, 1976, he says according to this pact, India and Sri Lanka exercises sovereign rights over the living and non living resources in their respective zones.

The agreement states that fishing vessels and fishermen of India shall not engage in fishing in the historic waters… the territorial waters in the exclusive economic zone of Sri Lanka and vice versa, he adds.

Also, he points out that according to the Fisheries (Regulation of Foreign Fishing Boats) (Amendment) Act, No. 1 of 2018, which was enacted by the Sri Lankan parliament to regulate control and manage fishing and related activities by foreign boats in Sri Lanka waters, illegal fishing in Sri Lankan waters is offence triable by a Magistrate’s Court and the magistrate can fine upto Rs. 7.5 million from a vessel.

He emphasises that according to Sri Lankan laws, bottom trawling is absolutely prohibited in Sri Lankan waters.

Prabhakaran controlled this ; over USD 850 annual loss

Mr. Kodithuwakku also says that during the days of the LTTE, the then LTTE leader – Prabhakaran controlled this situation.

However, none of the 225 MPs in Parliament would intervene to solve issues such as this, he says, adding that politicians in the North, who are asking for a separate state, will never raise their voice against India.

Noting that there are around 5,000 bottom trawlers in India, Mr. Kodithuwakku says these vessels invade the Sri Lankan waters during night time everyday, before heading back to India at dawn.

Adding that a research done in this regard has revealed that the annual loss incurred due to this situation is around USD 850 million – USD 900 million, he says that over 300,000 fishermen families have been affected.

Threats
Although 03 individuals in Jaffna initially volunteered to come forward as petitioners in the case, two later backed out after receiving grave threats, he said.

Not illegal in India
Meanwhile, a group of Sri Lankan journalists visiting India’s National Fisheries Development Board in Hyderabad recently learnt that bottom trawling is not illegal in Sri Lanka.

The visit was part of a media familiarisation tour for journalists organised by the Indian Government.

Speaking, Mr. Vijaykumar C. Yaragal, the Executive Director (Tech) at the institution, said that banning bottom trawling was a ‘very good decision’ by Sri Lanka. Although it is legal in India, “we are recommending it is not advisable,” he said.

Speaking, Chief executive of the Board, Dr. C. Suvarna said that although it is legal, they are attempting to discourage the fishermen from engaging in the practice. She added that international pressure is also present to move towards more healthier practices.

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03 Lankans featured in 2025 Forbes’ 30 Under 30 Asia list

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03 young Sri Lankans have been featured in the Forbes’ 30 Under 30 Asia list for 2025.

They are :
Nikin Matharaarachchi, in 2021, founded Sri Lanka-based Synapse AI Labs is the company behind Kommon Poll, an AI-powered social listening tool. Kommon Poll provides businesses marketing insights by analyzing keyword performance across multiple online platforms, including news sites, blogs and social media.

Charith N Silva, known for videos showing him preparing dishes in outdoor settings, launched the YouTube channel ‘Wild Cookbook’ in 2020 during the pandemic. With over 600 videos, ‘Wild Cookbook’ is now Sri Lanka’s largest YouTube channel with over 10 million subscribers, and Silva has over 2.3 million Instagram followers. In November 2024, he opened a restaurant in Colombo called Wildish.

Yanika Amarasekera-Siyaguna, a UC Berkeley and Imperial College London alumna, founded Silver Aisle, Sri Lanka’s first online wedding registry, in 2019. The e-commerce platform has since expanded beyond wedding gifts to include presents for all occasions as well as dining ,vacation packages and lessons in horse riding, golf and pottery, among others. In 2023, Amarasekera-Siyaguna was appointed an independent director of LB Finance, one of Sri Lanka’s largest finance firms.

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SL & India sign USD 930.8 Mn. debt restructuring deal

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Sri Lanka and India have signed a USD 930.8 million debt restructuring deal recently on Sri Lanka’s present External Debt Restructuring Process. 

The signing of Bilateral Amendatory Agreements between the Government of Sri Lanka and the Export-Import Bank (EXIM) of India took place on March 25, 2025 and April 03, 2025, respectively. 

The deal concerns 07 Line of Credit and 04 Buyer’s Credit Facility agreements with the Government of India.

Secretary of the Ministry of Finance, Planning, and Economic Development, Mr. K.M. Mahinda Siriwardana, signed the agreements on behalf of the Sri Lankan Government.

General Manager of the EXIM Bank of India, Mr.Nirmit Ved, signed the Line of Credits, and Deputy General Manager of the EXIM Bank of India, Mr. Amith Kumar, signed the Buyer’s Credit Agreements.

Issuing a statement, the Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development stated that the signing of these bilateral amendatory agreements marks a significant milestone in Sri Lanka’s ongoing External Debt Restructuring Process.

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965 lives lost in road accidents during last 05 months

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A total of 965 people have died between January 01 – May 13 due to various road accidents across Sri Lanka.

During this period,1,842 accidents including 902 fatal accidents were recorded, according to police reports.

The main causes cited for these accidents include negligence, reckless driving and improper vehicle maintenance.

To address the rising number of accidents, police have planned a special island-wide program focused on reducing traffic incidents, including driver awareness initiatives.

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